Playlist 01.19.20 : Five Songs for the Weekend

Matt Koenig, the Pittsburgh-born musician who goes by the moniker The Undercover Dream Lovers, has been serving up lush dream-pop for some time. Now, he’s readying his first album that fuses his love for psychedelic indie rock and nostalgic synthpop.

The latest offering is “You Don’t Have To Be Lonely,” premiering on Billboard today (Jan. 15). Its bright, synth-based melodies are served best with a cherry popsicle and a sandy beach, making you long for the upcoming summer months. “Wrapped up in a feeling / locked up in your head all the time,” he sings on the chorus, urging you to get on the dancefloor and outside of all the thoughts holding you back.

“It was really unexpected how ‘You Don’t Have to be Lonely’ came together. I originally thought the record was complete,” Koenig tells Billboard. “For fun, I got together with my keyboardist to work on a song, which we had been talking about doing for a while.”

“It all came together quickly and we both really liked it, so I ended up adding an 11th song to the record,” he adds. “Funny enough, a few weeks later, I worked on another song with some friends and ended up swapping out a different song on the record for that one. I’m really happy with the way the album turned out. “

“You Don’t Have To Be Lonely” follows previous singles “Plane Ride” and “A Way Out,” which will all be found on The Undercover Dream Lovers’ debut full-length album It’s All in Your Head, set for a Feb. 28 release.

Just a week ago, Whethan announced that his debut album Fantasy will come out later this year, as well as four pop-up-style shows. The news came to the delight of fans who were excited to see him back releasing music, as in September the young musician (real name Ethan Snoreck) took a short break from touring in order to focus more on his mental health and well being.

The first offering from Fantasy comes in the form of “Stay Forever” featuring alternative band STRFKR. The single, also accompanied by a Tron-inspired music video, is an exciting step forward for the musician. It starts off with washed-out guitar chords before introducing a dance floor-ready beat under the nostalgic vocal lines provided by STRFKR, eventually jumping into a bass-filled, exciting drop.

Snoreck’s Whethan alias has taken the world by storm in recent years. At just 20 years old, the producer’s bright catalogue is filled with huge collaborations with the likes of Dua Lipa, Oliver Tree, HONNE and Jeremih, as well as remixes of ranging from Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” to Post Malone and Justin Bieber’s “Deja Vu.” Back in September of 2019, he headlined the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Big Wild in addition to performing at festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Electric Daisy Carnival.

Although Raphaelle Standell-Preston and her band Braids recently returned with a brand new single (“Eclipse (Ashley)”), her other outlet, Blue Hawaii, is not yet on vacation. Indeed, we thought that the duo that she forms with Alexander ‘Agor’ Kerby was going to take a break after the release of their album Open Reduction Internal Fixation – but we were wrong. Today, they’ve just dropped two new tracks, “Remember When” and “The Test I Passed,” confirming one of their recent statements on an Instagram post: “Since making ORiF we’ve been writing non stop together and have lots of new songs under our belt. We’re so excited to share more with you over the coming year.” Listen below, and stay tuned for more.

With the band name Mint Julep you might expect a bunch of white suited gents from southern USA playing…well, I don’t know what. What Mint Julep actually are though, is an electronic pop duo made up of Hollie and Keith Kenniff, also a married couple. Mr. Kenniff is known for his experimental projects, the ambient Helios and the post-classical Goldmund. On Stray Fantasies however, we get straight up synth pop and you will enjoy it.

“Never Let You Go” and the announcement of Seeking Thrills comes after a hugely successful 2019 for Georgia. Both of her singles, “Started Out” and “About Work The Dancefloor” hit Radio 1’s A playlist, and propelled Georgia to headline shows across the globe, including dates in Europe, Latin America, the US, Australia, plus a goosebump-inducing one-woman-band set on Glastonbury’s Park Stage.

The new LP, Seeking Thrills is a sharply paced and fascinating album, packed with injections of lightness and fun, pared with rich, bubbling melodies that makes listening to it an experience that takes you into the party, through electro-pop into R&B, and back again. Her deep, brooding reflections carry us through euphoria, heartache and melancholy but always with the memory of the good times. Georgia is reminding you of the altitude of your last real thrill, and when we turn the record on, we’re there again, aching for more.

Heavily inspired by Chicago House and Detroit Techno of the early 80s, Seeking Thrills fuses analogue club sounds with solid pop songwriting and showcases Georgia’s lifelong love affair with the drums.